Hamilton e



H. .E. SMITH. Clothes-Supporting Apron for IroningMaOhine;

No. 230,900. Paten ted Aug-10,1880.

0 o a O 'LWvmAKof- EMMY E $71M,

mm 'TATES' HAMILTON E. SMITH,

ATENT Enron,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOTHES-SUPPORTING APRO'N FOR IRONINGaMACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,900, dated August 10, 1880.

Application filed November 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAMILTON E. SMITH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-SupportingAprons for Ironing-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 shows my apron partlyin end view and partly in section and without a surfacecovering. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view thereof. Fig. 3 shows an end view with a surfacecovering; and Fig. 4 shows alongitudinal section of one of the slats illustrated in Fig. 3, the same being provided with a back slat and with a fibrous or textile surface-coverin g.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to aprons for supporting or carrying the clothes around the cylinder in ironingmachines; and it consists in an apron constructed of a series of transverse metallic slats, which are connected together by hinge-joints, and have respectively a segmental crosssection, so that the apron readily adapts itself to the surface of a cylinder. With the metallic slats are combined back slats of wood or like material for the purpose of giving the apron a substantially level surface or hearing, and also combined a fibrous or textile surtace-coverin g, the latter being thereby furnished with a rigid support.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the metallic slats, B the back slats, and O the surface-coveriiw.

The metallic slats A extend transversely to the apron, and I prefer to make the same of brass or steel. To connect the slats A together, I use hinge-joints d, which in this eX- ample are formed by providing the slats with knuckles upon theirgedges and jfittin g therein a suitable pintle, as clearly shown. I shape the slats A in cross-section so that each forms a segment of a circle corresponding to the surface of the cylinder over which the apron is to pass. By hinging the slats A and shaping them in this manner the apron is caused to "adapt itself to the ironing-cylinderin passing around it, as indicated in the drawings, Fig. 1.

\Vhen the apron is used on a machine for ironing cuffs, collars, or other articles intended to receive a polish or gloss on both sides, I omit the surface-covering O and polish the faces of the slats A, and by this means the apron is adapted to act in conjunction with the cylinder of the machine for polishing both sides of an article.

The back slats, B, are of less width than the metallic slats A, and are fastened by rivets c or other suitable means, the same being in this example made ofwood, and being, moreover, shod with sheet metal to protect the same against wear. I usually make the back slats, B, of a tapered form in cross-section, and so that the widest portion thereof fits between the hinge-joints d. In this manner the back slats, B, are allowed to fold together as the apron passes around the rollers of the ironingmachine before and after it passes around the cylinder; but the same result can be attained by making the back slats of narrow width.

The main office of the back slats is to render the under surface or hearing of the apron level, and to this end the slats are made of such thickness that the lower level or plane thereof is below the hinge-joints d.

The surface-coverin g G is used when it is desired to give the apron a frictional surface, and it is composed of a layer of felt or other fibrous or textile material.

For the purpose of fastening the covering (J, I use double-pointed tacks j, which are embedded in the coveringand driven through the metallic slats A into the back slat-s, B, so that the top of the covering remains level or unaffected thereby; but the covering can hefastened in various other ways with a like result.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apron for ironing-machines, consisting of a series of transverse metallic slats, which are connected together by means of hingejoints, and have respectively a segmental crosssection, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An apron forironing-machines, consisting of aseries of transverse metallic slats, which are connected together by means of hingejoints, and have respectively a segmental crossseetion, combined with back slats of wood or like material, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. An apronforironingmiachines,consisting In testimony that I claim the foregoing I of a series of transverse metallic slats, which have hereunto set my hand and seal this 1st are connected together by means of hingeday of November, 1879.

joints, and have respectivelyasegmental cross- HAMILTON E. SMITH. [L. s.]

5 section, combined with a fibrous or textile sur- Witnesses:

face-covering substantially as and for the pur- W. HAUFF,

pose described. CHAS. WAHLERS. 

